


Crossroads

by Rising_Phoenix



Category: Original Work
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, BAMF Assistant, Boss/Employee Relationship, Gay Male Character, Gay Sex, M/M, Non-Penetrative Sex, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:26:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24145837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rising_Phoenix/pseuds/Rising_Phoenix
Summary: 💚💚💚 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DEAR FRIENDTuridTorkilsdottirLink text, who gave me this idea months ago! Love you!!! 💚💚💚 Can't wait for more plot bunnies you plant in my brain! 💚💚💚
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	Crossroads

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TuridTorkilsdottir](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TuridTorkilsdottir/gifts).



“Will you now tell me what has your panties twisted?” Anja asked while entering the office and shutting the door without preamble, plopping down on the chair opposite Lee’s desk.

He looked up over the brim of his glasses and frowned for a moment at his assistant.

“Don’t you have something important to do? Like getting me a coffee?” He asked and signed another of the contracts that had been put onto his desk yesterday and that he had just finished revising.

“You can get your own coffee, you know where the machine is,” Anja continued, crossing her legs and raising a brow. “Your panties.”

Lee put his pen down and leaned back in his chair.

“I’d like to make you aware that I am not wearing panties,” he said with a lopsided grin.

“Eww, too much information, boss,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“You asked.”

“I asked what got your non-existent panties twisted,” she said. “You’ve been acting off the whole morning.”

Lee scribbled another signature onto the papers in front of him and sighed.

“I didn’t sleep well,” he said, and Anja would have agreed that her boss did look a little pale and tired, but that was no change to his usual overworked appearance.

“And…?” She asked, leaning a little forward.

“There’s no _and_ ,” Lee said.

Anja continued to watch the handsome man in front of her for a moment, who had become more than just her boss in the past three years she had been working for him. Putting a strand of her long red hair behind her ear, she tilted her head to the side and pressed her lips together.

“You should take a vacation,” she said. “When was the last time you took one? Was that last year when you went on that gay cruise thing? Which would have been also around the same time you last got laid?”

Both of Lee’s brows shot up.

“What the fuck, Anja?” He asked.

“Not enough fuck if you ask me,” she grinned. “Got you there, huh?”

“Seriously, I don’t know why I bother with you,” he said. “You’re not even that good at your job, I should get a temp…”

“I am the temp. I have been for three years, and you won’t get anyone better, and you know it.”

Lee sighed.

“Sadly, you’re right about that,” he said, closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his eyes. “Coffee? Please?”

Anja smiled at him.

“How many coffees did you have today already?”

Lee looked at his mug that declared him “Hottest Boss” in bright rainbow colors, thinking for a moment.

“Four?”

Anja raised her brows to the hairline.

“It’s only 11 a. m., I think you have enough.”

“I have enough when I say I have enough.”

Anja got up and put another blue folder onto Lee’s desk, which he glared at.

“Let’s make a deal, I get you one more coffee. One. And you tell me what is upsetting you today even more than usual.”

“There is nothing that is upsetting me, An,” Lee said. “And I can get my coffee on my own.”

She nodded but did not say anything before she left his office, closing the glass door behind her without making a sound, realizing that he wanted to be left alone and not to discuss what was bothering him.

Of course, she was right. She knew him better than his best friends or his family did, working every day for the past three years close together, sometimes spending late evening hours together in his office going over contracts, applications, essays. Lee would like to call her a friend, maybe even his best friend, but he did not dare to make the relationship he had with the secretary that had been sent by an agency three years ago to take the place of his pregnant assistant more personal. There was no chance that Lisa, the assistant who had occupied her position before, would ever return, as far as he knew she was now pregnant with child number three, and he was happy that she found happiness in her marriage and in the role of a mother instead of in a work environment, and he planned to talk to one of his superiors soon about offering Anja a permanent position, not that either of them anymore had doubts that she would have to be carried our dead from the desk in front of his office door. She was the best assistant he ever had, even if she was discussing every little detail and was a little invasive regarding his private life, and he already counted on it that she would set up something like a date soon again. And after the disaster the gay cruise last year had been, he had seriously enough of her plans to find himself a partner.

He started again to go through the files that were still waiting for him and had just started on the folder that Anja had just gotten him when the door opened again and Anja entered with a large blue mug in her hands.

“I thought you decided that I had enough caffeine for today?” He asked.

She shrugged.

“You’ll only get more on your own anyway,” she smiled. “And look, I’m giving you my favorite mug to cheer you up.”

Lee took the mug from her, twisted it in his hands, and looked at the letters on it. He closed his eyes and sighed.

“Seriously?” He asked. “Keep calm, I’m a power bottom?”

Anja grinned and shrugged.

“Truth though, isn’t it?”

“Anja…,” Lee sighed.

“What?”

“Even if I was a bottom, which I am not,” he started, taking a sip of coffee that was exactly the way he preferred it. “I would not carry a mug with me that declares me as such.”

“So, you are not a bottom?” She asked.

“That is what you got from that?” He said, chuckling. “As much as I love you, I don’t think you need to know what my sexual preferences are.”

“Ha! But you do love me.”

Again, Lee chuckled and shook his head.

“Go back to work,” he laughed. “You’re such a nuisance.”

“But you do love me!” She sang while leaving his office, having painted a smile on his face.

He returned to his work, not able to brush off the smile that Anja had caused and forgetting what had put clouds in his mind already for several days.

Three hours and several more files and phone calls later, including a very unpleasant telephone conference with a gallery owner in London, who made unreasonable demands that Lee would never agree to, even if it meant that their artist would not be able to attend that exhibition, Lee and Anja went to the large conference room on the fourth floor, where they, among others, had been asked to come. They already knew which announcement would be made, and Lee was anxious, had even considered calling in sick today to not face what was unavoidable. But it would have only meant to postpone, which would have increased his anxiety even further.

“I’m kinda curious what he’s like,” Anja whispered when they took two chairs next to each other in the third row where she had dragged him after he already had started to take a seat far back, where nobody would notice him, something that at 1.96 m was not always easy.

Anja again sensed that he was tense, that his left leg was twitching, and that he was constantly licking his bottom lip, and she took his hand, making him look at her.

“Why are you so nervous?” She asked. “I mean, we don’t have to fear anything, do we?”

He shook his head.

“I’m not doing well with changes, that’s all,” he said.

“Should have been your job, honestly,” she whispered. “I don’t get why they get an outsider into the company instead of promoting you.”

Lee huffed.

“He’s the best,” he said. “Getting him to work for an agency instead of continuing to freelance or continuing to work in Europe is like winning the lottery. I would have done the same if it was my company.”

“Still,” Anja said. “I hope he’s as good as everyone says. Jenna already had a nervous breakdown because of his reputation, she’s fucking scared of him, without even having met him.”

“Language,” Lee laughed.

“Yes, daddy,” she winked and leaned her shoulder a little against his, long knowing that the physical contact soothed him whenever his anxiety got the better of him.

“Don’t ever call me that again,” he smirked just the moment when there was movement behind them and the doors opened and some more members of the management entered and when Lee looked over his shoulder, he got a glance at a tall man who carried himself with the confidence of someone who did not take hostages and who followed two founders of the artist’s agency he was a part of to the podium, taking there a seat and crossing his long legs.

“Oh, he’s hot,” Anja whispered next to him. “The pics I googled of him don’t do him justice.”

“You…googled him?” Lee asked, turning to look at her.

She shrugged once more.

“Sure,” she only said, but continued to look at the men who were getting ready for their announcement in front of them, waiting if anyone was late to join them, but after nobody else appeared for a few more minutes, Thomas, one of the founders, got up.

“Ladies, gentlemen, those in between,” he started, earning a few polite chuckles. “I think most of you already know why we have asked you to join us here today for a little announcement and then for a few snacks and drinks.”

“Does that mean I can get drunk back at my desk?” Anja whispered.

“Shut up,” Lee hissed back, making her wince, not used to him changing his tone like this.

“We have decided to fill the vacant place our dear friend Frank left a few months ago finally with some fresh blood,” Thomas continued. “We have used every connection we have and are so very glad to have bribed one of the most prolific talent scouts to join us and take over those parts of our agency that Frank had previously taken care of. Those of you who have lived and breathed the air of the arts scene for a while longer than others will have at least heard his name again, some of you met and I know of two family members of the agency who had the pleasure to have worked with him before. My dear friends, we are happy that Mads Jenssen is taking over the vacant position.”

Thomas turned and made a welcoming gesture towards the man that Lee had his eyes on the whole time, trying to avoid looking at him and still unable to move his eyes from his handsome face, a face he had not seen in person for more than twelve years.

“Mads,” Thomas said and the other got up from his chair, a smile on his lips.

“Thank you for the introduction, Tom,” Mads Jenssen started with a grin. “I am though not sure if those who had to do with me in the past would call it a pleasure. I don’t want to give you a long speech, those I will work closely with will have separate get-to-know-you-meetings with me throughout the upcoming days, I expect everyone who is a member of my team to do their best work, just like you have done in the past. Tom and Clint have already allowed me some insight into the company’s structure and I have to say that I am impressed with the work they have done. I am very happy to become part of this…family, and I hope that I will not turn out to be the creepy uncle that you stop inviting to family gatherings.”

Mads’ brown eyes went through the rows, looking at the faces of the people he would be working together with soon, and Lee sunk down in his seat.

“His accent is cute,” Anja next to him said and turned to him, suddenly realizing that her tall boss was trying to make himself invisible. She looked in confusion from him to Mads and back to Lee, frowning. “You know him?”

“I…,” Lee whispered, his voice sounding a little broken. “He’s my brother-in-law.”

Anja started at Lee, then she blinked.

“Your…, what the fuck, Lee?” She asked.

“We have no contact,” he said. “I mean, I have no contact with my family anymore, so we’re not like…close?”

Anja slapped his bicep hard.

“Ouch!” He yelled in reflex and rubber his arm. “What the fuck, An?”

“You fucker!” She laughed at him.

Lee took a breath, readying himself for a cocky comeback, but then realized that several people in the conference room has started to look at them and their exchange, some chuckling, others rolling their eyes, knowing that Lee and Anja were always good for lightening up the mood. Lee though went silent, feeling the gaze of someone else on him and turned to look to the front, and found Mads staring at him. Right at him.

Lee blinked. Blinked again. Felt his heart skip a beat, heat rising in his cheeks and his mouth go dry. Shit.

Mads nodded once in his direction. So, he had recognized him, which was nothing that Lee would have been able to avoid, beard or no beard, glasses or no glasses. He would be working directly with him, would have to report to him, attend meetings with him. There would be business trips, decisions, and conferences he would have to attend with him.

With the man who had married his sister twelve years ago, who may or may not had made him an uncle, not that he would know after his family had disowned him many years ago. The man who was still a painful part of his memories and who now stepped back into his life had taken such different turns than he had planned. He was not anymore the young man he had been when he and Mads had met for the last time, he was older now, was more himself than he had ever been.

With the man, who…

“Oh my God,” Anja hissed. “You have fucked?”

“What?”

“You…oh my God, stop it,” she continued.

“Stop what?” He asked confused.

“Stop eye-fucking each other!”

“I’m not…,” Lee said, eyes wide and now noticing that he and Mads were still looking at each other while the older man had continued to talk about the plans he had for the section of the business he would take over, that there would be changes and that he would lead them to even more successful business deals and would make the TCF Agency the best and most prolific artist agency in the world. “Shit.”

“Yeah,” Anja said. “When we’re back in your office, I want to hear every dirty detail.”

“There is nothing.”

“Every. Detail.”

“I can’t believe you and your brother-in-law, who now happens to be our boss, have fucked. Oh my God, Lee, you slut!”

Lee winced while closing the door to his office.

“It was not like that,” he said, taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes. “Shit. Fuck. Fuck!”

Anja got closer to him and pulled him into a hug.

“Is that why you’re so upset?”

He nodded.

“It’s a long story.”

She nodded and sat down at the round conference table that occupied a corner of his office.

“I have nowhere to be,” she said. “Elly is with her babysitter until six, and I can give her a call that that gorgeous husband of mine can pick her up instead. I’m here for you, okay?”

Lee nodded and sat down next to her, bend forward and feeling nauseous.

“My sister, Karen, she went to university in Europe, and that’s where she met him,” he started. “I didn’t meet him until they were getting ready to marry, I mean literally. I met him four days before the wedding for the first time. Since I came out, my family and I, well, we’re not on good terms. That Karen invited me, I guess she only did that to show how open-minded she is, or to rub into my face that she did so much better than me. I had a part-time job back then, in a gallery, and I still wanted to make it as an artist myself…still a dreamer.”

“Hey,” Anja said, taking his hand into hers. “I’ve seen your paintings, they’re gorgeous. I love your style, and you know you’re good.”

“Just not good enough, and Mads did not hesitate to tell me that I would never make the big galleries. He was an asshole, even back then. I doubt that has changed,” Lee chuckled. “He was right though, from the insight I have today into the business, I would tell me the same. That I’m not unique, that there is nothing that makes me stand out from other people doing the same. But back then, he broke my heart with his words. And still…”

“And still he was hot?”

Lee could not help but laugh.

“Yeah, that too,” he admitted. “Hair was more brownish back then, and he was just…I don’t know, so confident and he loved art, and he did not make me, despite his criticism for my work, feel like I was the black sheep of my family. We hung out together, and then…oh fuck…well, we had a three-day-long affair. The moment he stepped in front of the altar to marry my sister, there was a part of me who hoped he would stop it, I was so fucking gone on him, but I think he only wanted the last adventure before marriage or something like that. He ignored me completely when I tried to talk to him, he brushed me off. I left. No. I ran. As fast as I could, and I never looked back.”

“That’s a lie.”

“Yes, that’s a lie,” he agreed. “I thought about him a lot at first, but not anymore. I mean, it’s twelve years. But now…”

“Now he’s your boss.”

“Isn’t life great?”

Two months later, it showed that life was not that great, when Lee stormed out of Mads’ office, face red and lips pressed together so they were nothing but a firm line.

“Come back in here at once!” Mads yelled behind him, making several heads turn in surprise, while Lee pressed the buttons to the elevator once, again, then again until the doors finally opened.

Only when he had stepped in, he turned around and saw the other man stand in the hallway, watching him leave and part of him was very close to flipping him a bird.

A few weeks ago, he had been sure he could make this. That he would stay a professional and would be able to not let himself be influenced by some stupid feelings that were still locked away under the surface.

Working with Mads was problematic, it had been from the first moment they had met face to face. When Mads had tried to say something, Lee only told him that this was work and would stay work and since he had no contact with his conservative family, he would appreciate if Mads did not mention them ever in his presence. Mads had frowned but then nodded and accepted without further discussion that Lee did not want to know, be involved or informed about anything the people who carried the same last name as him.

While Lee had thought he could be the professional who had made himself a name in the business in the past years, who artists, galleries, and other agents liked working with, he was now taught better. He and Mads had different opinions, were always ready to get onto each other’s throat, and co-workers already had started to talk about the change in Lee’s whole attitude, even Anja had told him that he was instable and aggressive.

Today, a young artist he had been working with, had done good work with, had asked to be let go from his contract because working with Lee was no longer possible, and while Lee was upset and angry that the artist had gone straight to Mads instead of talking to him, he understood the decision. Hell, he would not like to work himself anymore as well.

When he stormed past Anja’s desk on the way into his office, she only looked shortly up, ready to say something, but Lee raised a hand and then crashed the door shut.

He remained standing, his hands on the desk, leaned forward, and did not turn around when Anja followed him.

“What happened?”

“Geoffrey doesn’t want me to represent him any longer,” he said. “Fucking fuck!”

He hit the desk and kicked against it.

“Lee,” Anja said, trying to calm him.

“I quit,” he said then, stunning her.

“You…did what?”

“I told the Danish asshole that I can’t work with him, that he’s ruining my life, again, and that I quit.”

“And he accepted that?”

“I did not leave him the chance to reply.”

“You quit.”

“I quit.”

“You fucking quit.”

Now lee turned around.

“Looks like it, yeah,” he said, his smile hesitant.

“You know you will regret this,” she said. “Lee, think about it again. I’m sure if you talk to Mads again, he will understand that you just overreacted.”

“Anja, I can’t work with him. Not a day longer. I can’t sleep and my anxiety is hitting unknown levels.”

“Then take some time off,” she suggested. “Listen, go home. Don’t look at me like that. Go home. Drink some wine, paint something, and watch some crappy movie. I talk to Mads’ secretary and we’ll work something out.”

“I don’t need you to fight my fights.”

“If I don’t do it, nobody else does.”

Lee stared at his small assistant for a while and then nodded.

He hated that she was always right.

Painting did indeed calm him.

He had the upper room of the small loft he was living in turned into an atelier that he though had rarely used in the past years. Once, painting had been his passion, his life. Not it was work. There was no family, only a few friends in his life, nothing but his job, and an occasional hookup, and even that was out of question recently. He was a mess, and he had been for months already.

But when he pulled out a canvas he had prepared he didn’t remember when and put out newspapers on the floor to protect the wooden planks, after all, he was only renting, paints and brushes, he already felt more like himself than he had done in a very long time.

Shades of blue and greys hit soon the white surface of the canvas, unstructured and without a plan, letting out his feelings and emotions, letting out his anger, and his sadness, his loneliness.

Hours passed, the sun went down and only the cold light of the artificial lamps that illuminated the atelier was still there, not the best light to paint in, but Lee did not plan on the next masterpiece, he only wanted to reclaim a part of him that had vanished.

He could not say how long he had painted, when he heard his cleaning lady downstairs get into the loft, like every Wednesday, and he only yelled down the stairs that he was home and that she should not be surprised. She replied something in her heavy accent and he returned to the painting he had been working on, putting accents of gold and silver here and there, slowly giving the abstract assortment of colors on the canvas structure and movement.

When he heard steps on the stairs leading up to the atelier, he did not turn, sure it was his cleaning lady, but then something felt different, like a presence that did not belong here, and Lee stopped in the movements of his hands that were by now both covered in paint. He lowered his head, not daring to turn around.

“Your housekeeper let me in,” the deep voice behind him said.

“Then you know the way out,” Lee said, still not turning around and brushing a streak of turquoise paint over the canvas.

Mads behind him made no move, and Lee started to feel uncomfortable in his private space, just when he had started to calm a little.

“That is a very pretty painting,” Mads said.

“Pretty,” Lee repeated with a huff. “Exactly what I was going for.”

“What were you going for?”

Now Lee turned around and was faced with his boss, his former boss, who was without a coat and was only wearing a shirt and pants.

“Can you please just leave, Mads? I don’t want you here.”

“And I want to be here,” Mads said. Was there something like resignation in the older man’s eyes?

“Good for you. It’s my place though, so please leave.”

Mads nodded, but instead of turning to do as he was asked, he made a step closer to Lee, which made Lee take a step back.

“We need to talk,” Mads said, voice calm and reserved as always. “I’m not accepting you quitting your job.”

“There is nothing to talk, and it’s not like you have a choice but to accept that. Leave. Just fucking leave. Give my sister my regards, and get the fuck out of my thoughts.”

Mads raised a brow.

“So, I am in your thoughts,” he stated.

Lee closed his eyes, hating that he was so obvious. When he opened his eyes, Mads had made two more steps towards him and was now standing right in front of him, only inches away. So close that he could feel the warmth radiating from Mads’ body.

“Am I in your thoughts, Lee?”

Lee frowned, pressing again his lips together, and then he nodded.

He only looked up, when Mads’ hand touched his chin, the first touch of skin on skin for twelve years, twelve years in which he had not been able to forget this brother-in-law and the mistake he had made back then.

“We can’t…,” Lee whispered.

“I think we can.”

Lee shook his head and was still shaking it when Mads pressed his lips to his own.

“Mads,” he whispered, unable to withstand the attraction, unable to resist the pull.

“Shh,” Mads made and then he kissed him.

He kissed him.

First, there were soft and warm lips on his, then a tongue demanding entrance to his mouth. Lee whimpered before he was able to understand what his body already knew.

Finding himself on the floor of his atelier, with his own brother-in-law turned boss was the last thing that Lee had ever expected happening, but a few minutes later that was exactly what was happening.

Both men were tearing at the clothes of the other, the buttons of Lee’s dark shirt went flying in the room and Mads’ hands were immediately on his smooth skin, fingers grazing his stiff nipples and his lips pressing a wet trail of kisses to his chest. Lee closed his eyes and hissed, a hand going into Mads’ silver-streaked hair, so silky and soft under his fingers. All reason, all certainty that this was the worst thing he could do, after twelve years of pining and being almost over the other man, going out of the window.

Mads’ shirt got off and when he sat up, Lee’s fingers were trembling when he was touching the chest-hair on his body, that once had been brown and now was showing the same traces of silver as the hair on his head.

It took mere minutes until they were out of the rest of their clothing, shoes flying somewhere into the room, Mads tugging at Lee’s jeans until he had the annoying item out of his way, and he did not lose time and wrapped a hand around Lee’s straining cock, giving it a few pulls. Lee arched his neck back, eyes squeezed shut and out a moan that sounded right-out sinful.

His mind remembered the few days twelve years ago, when he and Mads had been intimate, remembered how good it had felt to be held by the man who was out of his reach. Tears were welling up in his eyes, and still, he could not stop his hands from moving over the toned muscles of his boss, the smooth skin on his back and pushed his hips up to meet Mads’ hips that were grinding against his, leaving no doubt about the state of arousal they were both in.

“I would love you to fuck me,” Mads whispered against his ear. “But that we will come to later, need to get the fucking edge off.”

Lee groaned and thought for a moment to reply that he wanted Mads to do the same, but bit back a comment and yelled a curse out when Mads settled on top of him, their bare chests touching and rubbing against each other, their freed cocks finally touching and making both men whimper against each other. Lee knew that he was right and that they both needed release, soon and fast, that they needed something that no fuck would be able to give them, being close, being with each other, tasting, touching, feeling. There would be time for a fuck later if he allowed it, and right now, Lee knew that Mads could demand anything from him and he would give it to him without discussion. His brain tried to remind him how wrong this was, but then the last working of his brain cells were shut up when Mads cock gave his own friction, their shafts rubbing against each other. Lee’s thought already circled around the memories and thoughts that were returning to the surface, of the way Mads’ hardness would taste in his mouth, how he felt inside him, around him. He wanted it all. He did not ever want to let go of this again.

It did not take them long until the movements of both their hips became more frantic, chasing release, lips locked together in searing and intimate kisses, and then Mads came first between their bodies, continuing to mimic the movements he would later repeat when he made love to Lee the right way until Lee’s legs started to tremble and his fingers scratched over Mads’ back, leaving traces in his skin and he came with a shudder that went all over his body.

They held onto each other, the embrace they shared tight and intimate, breath mixed and bodies still pounding with a passion that was fulfilled only for the moment, aware that this desire needed more, a lot more. Something that was impossible and still something that Lee’s whole being required to continue breathing.

Mads moved off his body and moved to lie beside him on his back, both panting and trying to regain control.

For so many years, Lee had avoided to even waste a thought about this man at his side. For so many years it had worked. Until now.

“We should never have done this,” Lee whispered finally, his voice still hoarse. “Oh God.”

“Why do you say that?” Mads asked, his voice equally not quite his own. “Was it not good for you?”

“Are you kidding me?” Lee could not help but giggle. He rubbed a hand over his sweaty face and when he looked at his fingers, he saw that they were still covered with paint which he now probably had smeared all over his face. Nothing a shower could not take care of. “You’re fucking married to my sister.”

“You really have no contact at all to your family anymore?”

“You know I don’t,” Lee said. “You forget I’m the black sheep, the gay black sheep. Why do you ask?”

“Karen and I are divorcing,” Mads said. “She stayed in London when I moved here.”

“I’m…sorry to hear that.”

Mads next to him chuckled.

“I’m not,” he said. “We’ve been living separate lives for years. I should have never married her in the first place. Not when I had my eyes on her brother the whole time.”

Lee held his breath.

“Did you really think I took this job not knowing you work here?”

Lee turned and looked at the other man, who was lying on his back, stains of color on his cheeks.

“You…,” Lee said and Mads turned to look at him, their eyes sinking into each other. “Oh.”

Oh.


End file.
